Recently, BTS member Jin made headlines by participating in the torch relay for the Paris Olympics. While the event was celebrated by fans worldwide, it sparked rumors in Japan, with some speculating that the South Korean government “paid” for his selection.
As Jin appeared as a torchbearer, fans couldn’t contain their excitement. One fan, Laura Cabana, expressed her dedication: “I waited from 1 PM to 8 PM. But waiting eight more hours isn’t hard since I’ve already waited a year and a half for him to return from the military.”
Japanese media quickly covered the event, and some comments questioned the selection process, asking, “Why was a BTS member invited to the Paris Olympics?” Others speculated, “Is Korea the biggest sponsor?” and “The Korean government must have paid to include him.”
To address these claims, SBS News investigated the selection process for torchbearers. The 11,000 torchbearers for this Olympics were chosen based on recommendations from the Olympic Organizing Committee, official sponsors, or local governments in France.
For instance, French football star Thierry Henry was recommended by the organizing committee, Chinese actress Tang Wei by the Chinese company ‘Mengniu,’ an Olympic partner, and American rapper Snoop Dogg, the final torchbearer, was recommended by the city of Saint-Denis in France.
As for Jin, he was recommended by Samsung Electronics, an official Olympic partner. Samsung stated, “We recommended Jin, our brand ambassador because we believe his activities align with the Olympic spirit.”
Yu Seung Min, an IOC Athlete Commission member, commented on the process: “The Paris Organizing Committee has a very strict selection process. The government wouldn’t intervene in the torch relay; it’s not a matter where the state gets involved.”
Some analysts suggest that these unfounded rumors may stem from other motivations. Professor Lee Chang Min of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies noted, “It’s difficult for some people to accept that South Korea’s economic and cultural standing has grown to surpass Japan’s. So they come up with conspiracy theories like, ‘The Korean government lobbied and promoted this as a national project, and that’s why this happened.’”
The South Korean government has also clarified that it had no involvement in Jin’s participation in the torch relay.
Korean netizens commented:
“Anyway, thanks to Jin’s torch relay, it’s clear that the Paris Olympics gained attention.”
“Thank you, Samsung.”
“If you look at where the ridiculous rumor that the Korean government spent money came from, it’s always Japan.”
“It’s really strange… We keep a close eye on Japan and wish for their downfall because of our history with them as a colony, and we have bad feelings about it. But why is Japan so interested in our country? I don’t care who carries the torch, whether they’re Japanese or Chinese. -_-“
“Haha, they must be so jealous. Why didn’t they send someone from Japan? Oh, they don’t have anyone at that level… Sorry.”
“They must’ve been very jealous.”
“That’s the usual thing Japan always says, haha. They claim the government lobbied to get things done because they can’t achieve anything with their own money, even after using ‘Jap money.’”